Alice Springs - an itinerary

see also:

• Northern Territory - Alice Springs and the Macdonnell Ranges

• fly into Alice Springs
• pick up 4WD in city centre
• explore West MacDonnell Ranges
• stay at Glen Helen Resort for 1 night
• Milky Way 24th July 2015:
  • 9-10pm to capture Winter Milky Way starting in east-north-east horizon and arching to the south with centre of Milky Way mid-sky in east-south-east and Southern Cross south of zenith BUT a 1st quarter moon is still fairly high in west sky causing some light pollution (by 29th July 2015, the moon is in the centre of the Milky Way!)
  • 1-2am to capture Winter Milky Way starting in south-west horizon and arching to the north high over the west horizon (moon sets at ~0110hrs, Southern Cross sets at 3am, Milky Way centre at zenith 11pm)
  • perhaps Glen Helen Gorge Organ Pipes in foreground

Ken Duncan's sunrise shot after sun came over the east wall to light the Organ Pipes - he needed to be there when plenty of water in gorge, then swim through gorge then hike to get this shot

• sunrise pics
  • perhaps Tyler's Pass Lookout although Tnorala crater is to the south and not south west, and it is 60km away from Glen Helen
  • perhaps Mt Sonder but this may require strenuous hike to the top
• maybe explore Redbank Gorge before breakfast
• breakfast back at Glen Helen Resort and check out
• explore West MacDonnell Ranges
  • Redbank Gorge after check out?
    • perhaps 6km unsealed road to Tnorala, then perhaps to Palm Valley if accessible with rental car
      • Hermannsburg and larapinta Drive back to Alice
• check in to accomm. in Alice
• night shots of Milky Way or perhaps night Desert Park

Tyler's Pass Lookout south to Tnorala crater

• awake very early to capture Winter Milky Way starting in south-west horizon and extending upwards and to north
• +/- drive to East MacDonnell Ranges
• +/- explore Alice Springs itself

• if rental car allows it, drive via Mereenie Loop Road
• otherwise bitumen drive down Stuart Highway then Lasseter Hway
  • ?Rainbow valley en route
  • ?Henbury meteorite craters en route
  • Mt Ebenezer lookout
• check in at Kings Canyon Resort

• ?early breakfast for pre-dawn start of hiking

• ?another early breakfast and check out for pre-dawn start of hiking
• drive to Uluru resort and check in
• explore Uluru
• sunset/moonrise pics
• July 31st 2015:
  • sunset 18:20hrs sunrise 0725hrs full moon moonrise 1816hrs (Uluru is ~10min later than Alice Springs)
  • from Uluru sunset viewing area, moon rise is hidden directly behind Uluru, but then will rise to north-east of Uluru
  • need to be just before road to viewing area turns south-west to see moon rise to left of Uluru

shadow rise with almost full moon above it - 360deg panorama

• explore Kata Tjuta (Olgas)
• ?return to Uluru for sunset/moonrise pics

• check out and resort transfer to airport